Spongeorama Sponge Factory

Nice selection of sponges and soaps. Offered 10% off coupons by quite a few people. Currently (March 2025) the sponge diver helmet photo is in storage (pictures in review). Looks like a recent remodel/ expansion has left the photo opportunity in storage. Hopefully, just temporary and can continue the 40 year tradition next time.

It was amazing all around! Great customer service, great boat tours captains, and well worth the money! I did the sunset beach tour and found lots of shells and sponge and coral! It had the most beautiful sunset over the water on the ride back!! We even saw dolphins!!

My go to no frills shop in Tarpon Springs to purchase sponges from. I found them to have the best selection and pricing within the Tarpon Springs tourist area. Now, don't plan on coming in there to cool off as it's a place more designed to meet your sponge needs. The staff is pretty helpful and friendly.

Loved the educated movie on the history of Tarpon Springs. Love this unique/Greek community in Florida! It's a MUST SEE, TO DO visit!

Worth a stop while visiting the sponge docks.. the video is old but informative on the sponge trade and history. The store has decent prices on sponges and soap as well.

Nasty lady in there told us all to get out of the movie room. They have the movie running constantly but she threatened to shut it down if we weren’t watching. She forced us to leave. They weren’t near closing, there were other people in the store. Just completely rude for no reason.

I have been coming here for 40+ years. Whenever company came to town, my parent's took them to Pappas Restaurant and then a nice tour on the river, and then to look at the vintage sponge exchange. When I was a child I loved the museum and 1950's movie about life here. The same movie is still playing today. The Sponge-O-Rama was hit from the hurricanes last year, and need donations. I will always keep this treasure in my heart!!! What a great Greek community!!

This sponge factory is located in Tarpon Springs, Florida. We were walking by and decided to check it out. At first glance, it's a gift shop with natural sponge from the Gulf of Mexico nearby and goat milk soap; there were other various knick knacks too. A typical and common gift shop for the area. Tarpon Springs is known for their sponge diving and harvesting. This place also offers sightseeing cruises; you are able to view dolphins and manatees swimming by. The cruise also stops by a beach; you can pick up shells for souvenirs. There was a photo op outside with a sponge diver structure. Parking was spacious and they have a Greek restaurant nearby called Yiannis. We didn't go on the cruise or go to the restaurant but we did shop at the gift shop; I bought some goat milk soap that was on sale. Overall, decent spot to buy some souvenirs, soap, and sponges.

Third time on the dolphins cruise and again spotted a dolphin really up close. Fabulous. A very enjoyable cruise. Love it all: friendly crew, great drinks and music and the views are all top notch. Collecting shells on an island was great fun. Well worth the cost. Seriously, this is a must when visiting Tarpon Springs.

Was met with a very disgruntled clerk who closed the establishment early. When very innocently inquiring about it was met with rudeness and apathy. Was over charged for sponges and didn't even get to see the informational video that was shut off and locked up early. Might have been a nice experience if someone else was in the shop. Hopefully someone else takes over asap, it's a shame our experience was ruined by one with a sour continence and we were only here for a limited amount of time. Disgraceful We would have been inclined to buy more if we weren't being rushed felt unwelcome Shame on you

Very affordable cruise out to Anclote Key. The staff was kind and informative on the ride out. Saw some dolphins on the way! The island is absolutely stunning and a popular place for boaters. A great way to get out on the water in Tarpon Springs!

I found this place on Tripadvisor and it's basically a hangar that is a store with all kinds of sponges and then they have a room with bunches and a TV with information about the sponges and there is also a photo of plus they sell boat trips out of here too

This sponge factory is located in Tarpon Springs, Florida. We were walking by and decided to check it out. At first glance, it's a gift shop with natural sponge from the Gulf of Mexico nearby and goat milk soap; there were other various knick knacks too. A typical and common gift shop for the area. Tarpon Springs is known for their sponge diving and harvesting. This place also offers sightseeing cruises; you are able to view dolphins and manatees swimming by. The cruise also stops by a beach; you can pick up shells for souvenirs. There was a photo op outside with a sponge diver structure. Parking was spacious and they have a Greek restaurant nearby called Yiannis. We didn't go on the cruise or go to the restaurant but we did shop at the gift shop; I bought some goat milk soap that was on sale. Overall, decent spot to buy some souvenirs, soap, and sponges.

I highly recommend this tour . It was great seeing the Dolphins play , and the captain's commentary about all the homes was also very informative . It was very relaxing to get off on the island and just wander around searching for shells . I would absolutely do this again !

Our trip was great. It was me, my husband, my daughter and her husband. We had a great time and the caption and the other guy was great.

We've been to spongeorama and others 10+ times bringing family and friends, and these guys always have it down. The captain is informative, always stopping to see dolphins. They have a snack bar on board that sells waters and sodas for 2-3$ and alcoholic drinks for $6. We were able to have 30-40 minutes out in the island to look for shells and see different sights. Two restrooms are located at the rear of the vessel. We always enjoy our trip and look forward to the next time we are out here.

An amazing afternoon seeing dolphins playing near the boat and lots of shells on the island to sort through. Pleasant and knowledgeable captain and staff.

We had a great time on our sunset tour. The captain and the bartender were very nice and informative. Parking was confusing, but we figured it out after a bit.... Could use better signage. Fun time though!

We had a fantastic time on the cruise! The weather was getting a little windy and storms were impending later in the day. Being on the water, feeling the wind in my hair, salt water splashed up, literally giggling like a kid. Walking in the Gulf from the island was perfect! Our Captains were entertaining, safety conscious, fun, and knowledgeable, AND rescued two kayakers that could have been a recovery mission (if we hadn't been out there on the water in that place on that day - unsure this man and his two sons would have made it, 2 of 3 kayaks had capsized - the other boat got the 2nd son). The icing on the cake was a good 5-10 minutes watching 2 adults and 1 baby dolphins swimming on the way in. We are very grateful to have caught this particular cruise, we LOVED IT! Highly recommend! Jeri Nolan, Buffalo, NY

The cruise was very fun and relaxing with clever narration by Captain Mike. We did get up close to several dolphins. Found several interesting shells that we were allowed to keep. Only negative is that the cruises were all running late that day, and we were in a time crunch. They did notify us of the delay a couple hours ahead, and were able to place us last minute on an earlier scheduled cruise. Snacks and beverages were available for a fair price. Overall, a very good value for a couple hours of entertainment.

One of the best dolphin boat tours we have ever taken. Buying tickets was easy and they were reasonably priced and the crew was phenomenal. The boat is roomy and provides overall shade. It's also a very interactive experience because the captain encourages you to look for dolphins, point in their general location and then he moves the boat closer and will even maneuver so both sides of the boat can see the dolphins. They are not in a rush and take their time to make sure you enjoy the cruise. I recommend the sunset cruise!

Excellent. Great time. The captain was great. Loved the island. Shell hunting. The store has so much to choose from. Movie the have is very educational. I've been there twice so far this year. I'll be back Thank you

we had an awesome time on this cruise line. There were 6 of us and plenty of bench seating for all of us to sit together. Crew was excellent & didn't fail to give of Dolphin sightings. We even saw BABY dolphins! We had a beautiful day for shelling, just wish we had more than 30 minutes! Drinks on board were well poured too! We will definitely book this tour again! Had a blast!

Overall this is a nice boat ride but gets an average rating. It takes about 30 minutes to get to the island via a large pontoon-like boat and along the way the captain narrates, giving some small nuggets of information and or history. The island is lovely though and the shelling experience was very fun and unique. You have about 30 minutes on the island before going home. Would have loved to be on the island longer. We unfortunately didn't see dolphins (maybe one or two in the far distance but nothing like what is advertised) and it was cloudy so also didn't see much of a sunset for the sunset cruise either.

We've gone twice and seen dolphins both times. The little cruise is fun and entertaining. The price is very reasonable. Highly recommend.

This boat trip was WONDERFUL!! We saw lots of amazing dolphins, the captain was great AND we didn't even know we'd be stopping on an island to collect shells and sponges and watch the sun set! I really loved everything about this...especially the price and the drinks served on board.

this is my second time with the cruise. It was very nice. saw plenty of dolphins and picked a lot of sea shells. Cruise Captain and his mate were very informative. I will do again.

I took my husband, daughter and her friend on this cruise. It was the best day ever. temperature was perfect in high 70's, we saw two different dolphins, got pictures and videos. learned a ton about sponge diving and the river and Tarpon springs in general. the crew was wonderful. full bar on board, so plenty to drink, reasonably priced. the shell hunting was fabulous, we found many different shells, even a sponge and several sand dollars. Booked on line, parked behind the sponge factory, even listened to the video and movie and got 10% off. if you are considering a cruise DO IT. no motion sickness, boat is covered. definitely worth the price.

Boat is dirty and smelly and had damage on side from paddle board. Staff was unfriendly.

We didn't see many dolphins but that's not anyone's fault! You can't control nature! But we still had a great time and the staff were great! We would definitely use this company again!

We celebrated our Granddaughter's B'day by taking this tour. The trip was amazing seeing the dolphins, the wildlife and many things along the way. Walking the beach getting shells was terrific. I got some beautiful ones. We're planning to do it again with all the family next time. The weather was perfect. We saw several dolphins in the gulf. I got plenty of pictures. The sand on the beach was firm so you did not have to tread through any soft sand, I pickup many beautiful shells,

Watched a five minute film about the different types of sponges & how they are caught. Walked through the store with hundreds of different sponges at different price points. They have tour boats going out with a sponge fisherman.

we are residents of Spring Hill, Fl. when we visited before moving here my siblings would always have a trip to Tarpon. Now we find our visiting guess always love this little cruise. We enjoy it so much, it is affordable we pack up the family and take the cruise. Spongeorama is our choice, always. The crew is great anyway but my husband is disabled, the crew super helpful and kind. Hint in the summer take the 11:30 am beats most summer rains Showers.

This was our 2 dolphin cruise and are planning on bringing our other grandchildren in a couple weeks. We always have a great experience.I highly recommend this Dolphin cruise.

Overcharged by $18 for shea butter and no returns. Asked this really rude woman. I just walked out five mins ago and she wouldn't return it. Can get same product on Amazon for $5. Do not buy from here. No returns. Extremely rude staff. Also charged 3.75% service fee for credit card which is unheard of. I dunno what kinda greedy person is running this place But don't be deceived like I was by their must see. There's no informational movie or anything.

I have taken this short boat cruise several times and love it every time. This past week I had the pleasure of taking my two grandsons. ages 10 months and 2 1/2. The older one loved the shelling as well as the boat ride.

Left home in NC to visit a friend in FL & went on this FABULOUS cruise that happened to end with a gorgeous sunset. Heading back to shore, we thought we'd missed the opportunity to see any dolphins, but then we saw quite a few, swimming alongside of the boat, plus a lone manatee. GREAT narration/history throughout the trip & the Captains were absolutely the best!!! Would recommend this amazing cruise to EVERYONE!!!

We have taken this excursion 3 times and loved it each time!! Reasonable cost and Dolphins galore!! I am sure we'll take it again! Highly recommend it!

It was entertaining and educational and the crew were great navigators and narrators coupled with great senses of humor! The sunset was mesmerizing!

Excellent cruise. But we had a 10:30 appointment and didn't go out until 11:05 a.m. We raced there and arrived 30 minutes prior as directed. Once we arrived, they told us we were not going out until 11:00 a.m., which was very inconsiderate; we had other plans after the originally scheduled time.

We made reservations for the subset cruise a month in advance for a Greek friend visiting. We picked up our tickets in the early afternoon. We returned for the cruise at 5:15 pm as instructed, and they had canceled the cruise because they didn't have enough customers. Very bad customer service.

A nice afternoon cruise. Staff were very info and friendly. Will be returning the next time I am in the area.

There is a free vcr movie about the sponging industry. I remember this being far different than what I walked thru. I had thought the Spongearama was a walk thru museum, but it's mostly a tourist gift shop

We took the 4:00pm Dolphin Tour on a whim. The crew was very nice and knowledgeable. They did everything possible to make sure we saw dolphins and we did! Four swam right under our boat. The half hour spent collecting sea shells was also a nice touch. Definitely thought it was a great trip worth the value!

Fun comfortable crew is friendly and knowledgeable and knows the water. We enjoyed our experience and even got to see the dolphins

We are on vacation and found Island Dolphin Cruise, it was so much fun, and affordable. They take you through the Gulf of Mexico, we saw several dolphins and they also take you to a little island where you can swim or get sea shells (the shells are huge!) Very much worth it, 11/10 recommend

My family had a wonderful time on the sunset cruise. The guides were informative and interesting. The sunset was beautiful and we loved walking on the beach they took us to at sunset. I would recommend!

Very knowledgeable and nice captain and crew. We saw maybe 5-6 dolphins. The best part is the island looking for shells. Very cool stuff, shells, horse shoe crabs, sponges, a dead turtle unfortunately. Will use again to take out of towners.

It was a great time and they were very knowledgeable about the history of tarpon springs!

The experience with sponge aroma was very good. We called about information. We got a good advice, and after review of other cruises. We decided to take sponge aroma. The crew was very experienced and fun I would recommend sponge Arama to anyone who would like to go I've done three of these tours before and by far this was the best.

Fun time!! Our captain and 1st mate were outstanding, professional, witty and informative. We saw dolphins, amazing sunset and got some shells!!

I went with my husband and another couple. Throughly enjoyed the boat ride. Stop at the island was fantastic. Guys working the boat were very informative and friendly. Stopped in the store to buy a sponge and the older women was very rude. Had to wait for her to be done on her phone ( not talking) to ring me out. When I questioned the price cause it goes by size she stands up and leans to me yelling does this look like 5"? Well it was if you measured across. Definitely go back for the boat ride but I'm sure I could find a nicer sponge and lady somewhere else.

Great experience and price. Crew was fun and safe. Our family will definitely go again.

Kinda overpriced, for no reason. Fridge magnets $9 ?! C'mon! Sponges vary from like 5 to about 25 for really big ones. Other than that, they sell a lot of stuff. You can find here a ton of sea treasures, whatever got into the net along with sponges lol

The Crew were very knowledgeable and nice !! We enjoyed everything about the trip ! We came to visit my cousin for my moms birthday! Mary Furrow - Maine

My 3rd excursion with Spongeomoma and it's always enjoyable. Brought both of my daughters and they loved it. The crew of the boat are both entertaining and knowledgeable. I learn something different each time. I highly recommend.

Very nice boat ride & information. Saw a dolphin. Would had liked a little more time on the island.